The Premier League campaign is on the home straight and the growing pressure has shown with more managerial departures in the last week.
Here the PA news agency looks at the key talking points going into the Easter weekend.
Frank’s back
Frank Lampard returns as Caretaker Manager until the end of the season. 🤝
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 6, 2023
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When Frank Lampard was sacked by relegation-battling Everton in January, you would have got pretty good odds on him finishing the season as Chelsea manager. Actually, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Chelsea have nine games left and nine games is a long time at Stamford Bridge. Lampard’s first spell in charge of Chelsea ended a little over two years ago after a dramatic drop in form, but his return now makes sense. Hopes of a top-four finish are all but gone, and there is discontent within a bloated squad overstocked with the scattergun acquisitions of the club’s owners. A major overhaul is needed but finding the right candidate will take time. Before then, the return of a man who still has huge credit with the Chelsea fans from his playing days has already lifted the mood going into Saturday’s trip to Wolves.
Anfield test for Arsenal
Arsenal retain a strong eight-point advantage – having played one game more than Manchester City – at the top of the Premier League, and so far have passed pretty much every test put in front of them. Another awaits on Sunday afternoon as Mikel Arteta takes his side to Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp’s misfiring side are clearly not the force they were but Anfield still has a way of rising to the big occasion, and for all their woes on the road, Liverpool have only dropped nine points at home this season, losing once in the league. City are strong favourites to cut the gap away to Southampton on Saturday evening, so can Arsenal respond again?
Managerless Leicester in the thick of it
Leicester face a crucial fixture on Saturday against fellow strugglers Bournemouth, with both in the bottom three going into the weekend. But as rumours abound about potential caretakers, the Foxes go into the match still without a manager after the sacking of Brendan Rodgers last weekend. Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell are in temporary charge, but could not find the desired response in midweek as they fell to a late defeat against Aston Villa. That 2-1 loss made it eight defeats and only three wins from 14 at home this term, the worst record in the league.
Same old Spurs?
Another managerless side, Tottenham, face a big game in their bid for Europe when the fifth-placed Londoners take on sixth-placed Brighton. The first game without Antonio Conte, Monday’s 1-1 draw at Everton, played out much like so many when the Italian was in charge. Tottenham took the lead but then seemed happy to sit back against 10-man opposition and they paid the price late on with Michael Keane’s stunning equaliser. Conte’s former assistant Cristian Stellini, now in interim charge, has said injuries have left him short of options to mix things up, but an impatient fanbase is demanding change.
Moyes in trouble?
Speculation over David Moyes’ position is nothing new this season, but a midweek 5-1 home defeat to Newcastle brought fresh questions for the West Ham boss with his side outside the bottom three on goal difference alone in this incredibly tight relegation battle. Moyes insisted he has “no doubt” the board remain behind him, as they have been all season, but the pressure is on as they head across London to Fulham. The Hammers have lost 15 of their 28 games so far, more than in any other campaign at this stage since 2006-07.
